1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shredders and, more particularly, to a shredder having wear adjustable cutter disks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Shredders are known in which two series of interleaved cutter or slitter disks are each mounted on parallel, spaced apart, counter-rotating shafts. The circumferences of the disks on one shaft are overlapped with the disks on the other shaft such that material fed into the nip formed at the overlap of the disks is shredded.
It is necessary for the proper functioning of such shredders that the cutter disks carried on the shafts be very closely spaced, or even in contact, with each other at the overlaps therebetween. The disks therefore rub against each other, and against the material being shredded, resulting in wear which reduces the thickness of the disks over time. As the disks become thinner, it is necessary to compensate by providing some means for again bringing the disks close together on the shafts.
In the past, the cutter disks have been axially slidable on the shafts, and bronze wear plates have been wedged against the endmost cutter disks to urge the disks closely together. However, such wear plates wear rapidly and require frequent replacement. Furthermore, the wear plates impart a considerable amount of heat to the assembly through friction, thereby affecting the hardness of the cutter disks.
It is desirable for the wear adjustment device to be mechanically simple, durable, economically constructed, unobtrusive, retrofittable to existing equipment, and easily adjusted.